#Lumino city ipad full#

But this is only possible because the entire world was physically hand-crafted as a ten-foot high model built with paper and wood cut-outs, miniature lightbulbs, metal, painted plastics, and many other real-world materials. The effect of all this is to make the game feel like a cohesive, brilliantly designed toy world with a wide range of wonders to behold, including a captain’s ship trapped at the top of the wheel, a garden of elevated glass fish bowls, and a house that rotates on its axis, revealing new rooms and pathways depending on its rotation. Depth of field is an important factor as well, with crisp foregrounds and hazy backgrounds switching appropriately as Lumi moves through them. The camera will pan and swoop around the current section of the model city, changing perspectives as Lumi arrives at her new destination.

#Lumino city ipad full#

However, thanks to the city’s beautifully interconnected structural design, these scenes flow together beautifully, at least in part due to the seamless full motion video transitions that connect them. Lumino City follows a very linear structure: in each self-contained scene, consisting of two or three distinct screens at most, you must alter the current environment so you can successfully navigate Lumi all the way through and into to the next one. But apart from a bit of hotspot hunting, the ease of this streamlined interface makes Lumino City an intuitive point-and-clicker, wisely leaving the focus on the immersive visual presentation rather than the mechanics needed to explore it. Even scene-shifting exits can be difficult to discern at times. A potential downside to this simplicity is that hotspots are rarely indicated, the exception being the occasional swinging and climbing sequence where click timing is imperative, during which hotpots are highlighted with tiny bubbles. Click the satchel Lumi is carrying and her inventory appears in a bubble above her head, where you can drag and drop items onto the environment for easy application. See a button, click it, and Lumi will press it. Click a destination in the world and Lumi will run to it. Everything works in one-click fashion, much in the vein of Samorost. In fact, less is generally more in this adventure, including the minimalist interface. It's a very superficial premise that makes the story feel secondary, but the game’s primary focus more than makes up for its narrative simplicity. Lumi’s quest is to travel across this astoundingly colorful world to find her Grandad, all the while trying to solve troubling power outages plaguing the city. Lumi quickly flees her Grandad’s home and rushes to the nearby Lumino City, an elaborate, intertwining town nestled inside an old wooden boat wheel suspended high in the sky.

Cute, clip art-styled Lumi, who has hands and feet but no arms or legs, is making tea when suddenly she hears a mysterious crash and discovers that her Grandad has disappeared. The game begins with a cute and simple storybook premise consistent with the paper cut-out look. Better yet, while this gorgeous aesthetic is worthy of admiration in itself, the substance behind the style is equally strong, revealing a remarkably charming, puzzle-filled adventure.

It’s a striking effect that must be seen in motion to truly appreciate, consistently delivering intricate and inventive spectacles from the moment the game begins. Similar in style to its prologue-like predecessor Lume, but much grander in execution, this full-fledged sequel is a hand-crafted point-and-click adventure filmed using real material props, Mouse Trap-esque set pieces, and animated cartoon characters superimposed over top. At the risk of stating the obvious, Lumino City is a visual treat.